35+ TTC#1 Thread 4

[BambiOnIce80]

We're very close to maxing-out our previous thread, so time to start afresh 🙂

To borrow the intro from @Blondcat (our old threads founder):

A wonderful bunch of ladies supporting each other through the ttc journey when trying for a first baby after 35.

Good luck all!! 🍀🤞🏻🍀🤞🏻

@CNizzle -15th is a while away yet, see what happens between now and then maybe, before deciding whether to cancel or tell your family. Hope you're ok. This is a humongous pile of shit to deal with, I can't really imagine. I've not been in anything like that situation yet. For what's its worth, I've found sharing my TTC woes with my sister quite cathartic, although it helps that she is in the same situation.

I find maca tastes a bit like spicy parsnips, is that just me? It's not massively pleasant.

@CNizzle another virtual hug/handhold/surreptitious passing of hipflask of gin here. Sorry you (and your Dad) are going through this 🌷
Hope it's not inappropriate but bloods are back (not AMH yet as that's run at another lab)
FSH 6.1
Oestradiol 145
Which seems to put me firmly in the "normal" range. C'mon ovarian reserve!

I experimented with maca in our pancakes this morning and they were yummy 😋 Baking with it is the way to go! 👍

@79andnotout I think you’re right about the taste. Tastes a bit odd (in tea anyway!) - in a spicy, earthy, root vegetable kind of way.

What time of day do you use your ovulation sticks? I can't easily use mine in work so I am stuck trying in the morning or evening. So far I have only managed to confuse myself and not get results!

The closest I have come was a few days back when I used the stick, it looked totally negative and then I had a quick shower. When I got out of the shower I looked at the stick and it looked positive. It had been 'developing' for maybe ten to fifteen minutes, no more. On the packet it says positive can show in under a minute, and it's not effective if left for 30 minutes. So is a positive in under 15 mins still a positive? 

At the time I thought it was too early based on my cycle, so I discounted it. But I've not had any more results like this in the last two days (even leaving them out), so now I think I might have missed our chance to dtd this month 

Those of you that can make these sticks work, when do you test and how often? I want to be better skilled for next month! (I've also ordered Clear Blue sticks for next month in case they are easier to read).

@Chelonia - congratulations on nice blood results.

@pattyhoo - what opks are you using? Are they the one step internet ones? I do one in the morning and then when I get in from work. My surge is usually in the evening. I get a really strong line that starts developing even before the control line but that seems to be pretty unusual. I think my lh is quite high from peri-menopause anyway. I usually leave them on the loo ledge and come back after a while, so I'd say 15 minutes is fine.

@79andnotout yes I got them on Amazon, they're called 'One Step ovulation tests'.

The control line always appears first for me and it takes at least several minutes for the positive line to then appear, even then it's not as dark as the control line. Good to hear you leave them a while too - the instructions are not very detailed so I thought I might just be doing it wrong!

@pattyhoo ok yeah I found them really good. They matched up well to my bbt rise. I stick them all in a notepad with the time and dates, and then as the line starts to get a bit darker I take them more frequently, if a loo is available.

@Cnizzle, so sorry about your dad being so ill. Hope you’re doing ok. Sending love x

Oh @CNizzle sounds all so sad and difficult. Sending lots of hugs . xx

Well crikey, for some reason I lost the thread! Was beginning to have withdrawals.

Hope all are ok and enjoyed their weekends?

I’m so sorry @CNizzle I hope you are coping ok and staying strong xxxxx

Crazy day yesterday. Had my scan yesterday, and there are 5 follicles on the right and 5 on the left! That never happened before! Not only that, but I have a dominant follicle on the left that is already 20mm! So they did a trigger right there and then! And that was cd10! The rest of the follicles are around 7-10mm which is normal for cd10. And scheduled IUI for today, cd11 and I'll be ovulating on cd12. Lining is around 7.5mm which is also normal size. So they put an Estramon patch on my tummy. These are for lining growth. My head is spinning. We were planning it all for Friday/Saturday! So had to call my DH at the appointment to tell him the news and change his flight for today! Thankfully IUI is at 6pm so he'll get here in time, and fly back home next day. Asked doctor why I had so many follicles in the first place. Only ever had 2 on either side. And why 1 is already 20mm on cd10! She told me it might be down to DHEA I started taking!? But I've only been taking it for 5 days! 75mg a day. Again this is all new to me and our bodies will never cease to amaze me! I had acupuncture straight after the scan to calm and distress. Curious to see what today brings when I go for IUI. More acupuncture booked for after IUI. My DD is here with me and my doc/nurses love seeing her growing. She was my true IUI baby miracle "conceived" at my clinic. I was 40 then. Let's just hope this time works. And if not, I've got IVF lined up which we discussed yesterday too.

@pattyhoo I have never, not once, got a Positive' opk line! It goes from nothing, to a faint line, to slightly darker, then back again.

I presume the peak happens either during the day (when I'm at work and can't check it) or at night when I'm asleep! As long is it appears to do something, I wouldn't worry too much. I leave mine for the full ten minutes.

Hi ladies This is Carley32.

I have no idea what is going on with my mumsnet 😡. It decides to delete my thread, and then take me back to my old username and now refuses to let me sign back in with my current username! Grrr so frustrating. So I've had to chuck an extra number on the end to create another bloody username. What a frustrating few hours 😂.

Hope all are well. @russcispy Wow! 🤞🤞🤞 xxx

Thanka for all your messages ladies. Dad is out of itu now, but still very confused with delerium. Mainly cos hes not slept in 3 days, keeps fighing it. Hopefully we'll get him stable & to the hospice over the next few days. So im still with my mum. Cd4 currently.

@Russkispy that sounds v exciting. Fingers crossed for your IUI xx

@Carley321 I was wondering if that previous post was you!
Hope all is well eith everyone. Is anyone near to testing?

@Russkispy - that's interesting about the DHEA. Good luck with this IUI, fingers crossed it works out! Otherwise sounds like you've a good plan for ivf and likely the dhea will help make loads of eggs ripen

Hi @CNizzle glad to hear about your dad. I was thinking about you and how you are coping.

Thanks for the heads up @Russkispy and fx this time will work out for you. Do you know if boots sells DHEA?

Thinking of you and sending you remote hugs @CNizzle ❤️ Try not to worry about the 15th. If it gets to the 14th and you're still down south you could make your excuses about needing to bob home for a day and you'll be right back?

@Carley321 I've had mumsnet do some weird things with my account - glad your back 😊 Did you manage to get plenty DingTD in with your BFP OPK? Definitely don't worry about drinking at the weekend this soon afterwards 🥂

@Russkispy you have most certainly had a very busy day! Keeping everything crossed that IUI works for you this cycle 🤞🏻

That's some stonkingly normal results you've got yourself there @Chelonia 🙂 I bet your ovarian reserve will be exactly the same 🍀

CD17 here in the Apennines, so I think it's safe for the shaggathon to cease! 😂 I've probably put on at least 1.5kg in salumi, pasta and wine already, so physical exertion is less and less appealing as every vacation day goes by! I'm literally going to have to run my arse off when I get home 😣

Good luck @CNizzle hope you're ok.

Also good luck @Russkispy - going to google DHEA now!

@NotMaryWhitehouse relieved I'm not the only one that doesn't get clear positives! Natural Cycles app has given up on me this month as I've failed to ovulate and now I'm on af countdown. Will try clear blue next month...I'm sure I've missed this month, just have that feeling.

Good luck everyone else trying this month!

@CNizzle I'm glad to hear things are settling down for you. Agree with @BambiOnIce80 that it's still definitely worth considering going ahead on the 15th, I am sure my dad would want me to do that.
AMH came in today, 13.8pmol/L. According to the fertility clinics ranges I am precisely average for my age. Never been so happy to be so boringly average 😄
DP is actually on-track to get his semen sample done on Friday!! Self-motivated!! There's a fairly strict regime of when "activity" has taken place to ensure an accurate sample. Must have DTD within 7 days but not within the 3 days prior to sample. And then drive it across the city nestled in an armpit or something to get it there within an hour. He's going to feel like he's in Mission Impossible!! 😄😄 I think as my results are trickling in as normal he's starting to worry his weight is the issue. He is categorised as severely obese and I'm hoping this will be the motivation to finally lose some weight!!

Good luck @Russkispy!

Enjoy the rest of your vacation @BambiOnIce80 !

@NotMaryWhitehouse I have never used the standard OPK. But the advanced Clear Blue ones... with a flashing/solid smiley worked perfectly this month for me. The first time I've used them.

@CNizzle - hope all goes well with your dad. I'm on DPO 8/CD19. I won't test unless AF is a couple of days late..... is there any benefit in testing early.... other than satisfying one's own curiosity? For e.g. to potentially detect an early MC?

Just out of curiosity.... do most of you ladies on here temp? Or anyone not temp? I've just started temping a couple months ago... but am only this month seeing how clearly it shows up on the graph.

@Chelonia great to hear about your results!

Thanks ladies! DH has just landed! Phew! Going to the clinic at 4 to give his sample for IUI prep and IUI 2 hours later.
@QuantumGirl , not sure if it's sold in boots but I bought from Biovea UK. I'm taking 75mg, tablets are 25mg each. Paid around £25, I think. Curious to see how things are progressing today. My doc will scan me first and then IUI. Fingers and toes are crossed!

@CNizzle - missed your post this morning. So glad your dad is doing better.

@Chelonia - that's great news on the ovarian reserve! And being inspired to be more healthy is a good thing, regardless of how his sperm looks. I imagine looking after a child would be bloody hard work if you're in the obese range, even more so than normal, so it's hopefully a good incentive to improve things. Starting is the hardest part!

@BambiOnIce80 - I'm salivating just reading about salumi. I was watching 'Salt, fat, acid heat' on Netflix the other day (thoroughly recommend it) and feel the need to get a food based holiday booked in. A friend of mine has an apartment in Sardinia, and we gorged ourselves silly for hardly any money at all there last time, so might get that booked in for when the flights start up again.

@terriwrist - I temp and it took me a couple of months to get the hang of things. It is a bit of a faff but it gives such good information, I love it.

@79andnotout definitely agree with you on the temping!

@79andnotout I love Sardinia too! Went to Alghero a couple of years ago and ate my bodyweight in tuna/bottaga and drank the same in vermintino/canannou. I'd love to go again (or try Sciliy), but DP doesn't like the heat - he's a very odd Italian indeed 😕

Given how much I love these kind of things it seriously makes me question how a bambino would fit into our current lifestyle 🤔 I suspect the current lifestyle would become a thing of the past 🙄